Anniversary Trip Part I: Wining and Dining Napa Style

Our recent anniversary trip to Napa, Calif., could just as easily be called the Thomas Keller Pilgrimage. After all, most people go to enjoy the wine—we were no exception—but we were just as excited to try out our favorite chef’s famous restaurants. But the real question is, did we do a better job of vacationing in Northern California than we did on the sunny beaches of Puerto Rico? Check out these stats and then decide:

• 2 of 3 Thomas Keller restaurants visited (+ the bakery for a third trip)
• More than 120 wines tasted
• 9.3 combined miles run through the pouring rain at Artesa Vineyards
• 30-minute 5K PR set by moi
• 16 combined miles mountain biking through wine country and the wetlands
• 2 cases + 2 bottles of wine shipped back to Texas

Delicious Recipe Alert: Chocolate Brownies

Ad hoc Brownies with Cream Cheese Whipped Cream.

Kevin and I recently made the Brownies in Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc cookbook. We served them with a side of homemade cream cheese whipped cream. Delicious! You know these brownies are going to be good when you read the recipe, which calls for cocoa and bittersweet chocolate chips plus 3 sticks of butter. Make this! Trust us.